Improvement in fruit-can labels



dnitrd taira JOHN vDUNLAP, orLPrrrsBURc, PENNSYLVANIA.

Lem/rs Para: No. 92,023, daad June 29, 1869,

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the name.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, JOHN DUNLAP, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented-a new vand useful Improvement in Tops for Fruit-Gans; andv I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference. markedthereon.

The nat-ure of my invention consists in furnishing a new article of manufacture, viz,"a top for fruit-cans; said top being provided with a series of marking-cells arranged around ou the breast of the top, with the names of fruit stamped'iuto', or otherwise aixed ou, the can-top, with relation to the marking-cells, so that by filling a cell with a suitable marking-material, the contents ofthe can will, be indicated.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

' In the accompanying drawings, which form part of myspeciiications-- Figure -1 is a top view or plan of my improvement in tops for fruit-cans.v

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same.

A representsasection ofthe body of an ordinary fruitcan made of tin.

B represents the't-op of the can.

O represents what is termed the breast ofthe cantop. v

D represents the iiange of the neck of the can-top, over which is `fitted the iiange c, of the lid f.

The iian'ge D, of the neck of the can, is sunk down sofas to form a sealing-groove and bring the upper surface of thelid f on a line with the breast C, for the purpose of forming a fiat surface, so that one can may be set on the top of another, in shipping or storl ing them away on shelves'of stores or other place.

h represents the marking-cells, which yare iudentaf'- tions made in the breast of the can-top. Around these cells are stamped or aifxed, (as clearly shown in fig. 1,) the names of fruit, viz, pears, gooseberries, elderberries, strawberries, currants, raspberries, peaches,

tomatoes, blackberries, plums, qunces, cherries; and y other naines of i'uit may, in like manner, be placed on the can-top, when so desired.

- lhe opel-ation of my improvement is as follows:

The. fruit is properly prepared and put into the can,

.(for example, cherries;) thc lid f is then placed onthe top, (as shown in tig. 1;) cement or other sealing-maf tem'al is run into the groove i, so as to hermetically seal the can, and secure the lid on the top of the can.

A drop of the cementor sealing-material is then dropped into the marking-cell, (which in this case.

would'be in the cell around which is the word cherf ries, in every case filling the cell, which will indicate the contents of the can. r

By thus stamping or axingthe names of vfruit on the breast of the can-top, with a marking-cell -near ezmh/name of afruit, a certain, safe,-easy,` and expeditious means is provided for indicating the contents v of the can, and one which,` by its position, secures the mark from casual displacement by friction or violence, and which admits of its being readily removed when the cans are to be refilled, and the label or indicator is required to be changed'. Y s Having thus described the nature, construction, and operation'of my improvement, v l

What I claim as of myfinvention, is

As a new article of manufacture,"providing each one of the constant series of labels, now in use upon the top of a fluit-can, with` acorrespondiug indicator, consistingof au indentation to receive 'and retain a drop of the sealing-cement or other material, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

` JOHN DUN'LAP.

Witnesses: l iv ANDREW J. DUNCAN,

JN0. MONTGOMERY. 

